Nail-distributing apparatus



B. F. MAYO. NAIL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2:, 1918.

1,399,7 5, Patented Dec 13, 1921.;

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B. FLMAYO.

NAIL DISTRIBUTI NGAPPARATUS. APPLICATION HLED MAY 21. 1913.

1,399,785, I Patented De0o13,1921.

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NAIL msmnsurms APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2| I918. 1,399,785, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

UNITE BENJAMIN r. MAYO, or serum, nassaorrnsnrrs, nests-iron 'ro 'oNIrnn siren MACHINERY CORPORATION, or ra'rnnson, New anasnv, a ooaroanrioiv or New Jnnsnv.

NAIL-DISTRIBllTING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 21,

nection with the accompanying drawings, is

a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

My invention relates to nail-distributing apparatus, having reference especially to apparatus adapted to supply nails to the loaded mechanism of heel-attaching machines.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of effective means for feeding nails of different characters, as those of two lengths, means whereby the advance of the nails through the apparatus is facilitated, and means for delivering nails from plural nail channels to a single nail-tube leading to the loader mechanism, organized to permit a compact arrangement of the nail-tubes 4 A feature of the invention may be found in plural conveyors, as nail ways or return chutes, cooperating with corresponding receptacles for holding a supply of nails in bulk, one of the conveyors having a feeding movement imparted to it, while another conveyer is driven in its longitudinal movement by aconnecticn to companion. ll prefer to separate these receptacles and have the conveyors, especially the nailways, converge therefrom toward one another.

Another feature of the invention involves movement of a conveyer controlled in the operation of the apparatus for the nails at different velocities. movement is greater in the direction in which it is desired the nail shall advance.

a further feature, channels in the nailwaydeliver the nails to successive sets of receiving means, which sets in turn respectively cooperate, with single nailtubes leading to the loader mechanism. As illustrated, the receiving means of each set acts alternately to deliver nails to the corresponding nail-tube.

A. particular embodiment of the invention Specification of Letters Patent.

Preferably, the rate of Patented lDee, f3, 1921..

fierial No. 235,800.

appears in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved nail-distributing apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a broken end elevation of the apparatus as viewed from the bottom of the sheet in Fig. 1;

,Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail showing the dilferential actuating mechanism for the nail-ways;

Fig. 4 is a detail in end elevation taken in the opposite direction from Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 5+5 of Fig.2;

6 shows in side elevation a portion of one of the nail-discharging rolls;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are transverse sections taken, respectively, on the lines 7-4", ES-53, 9-9, of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 10 is a detail in side elevation of a portion of themechanism for actuating the discharge rolls.

At 10 is indicated a bracket for attachment to the frame of a heeling machine, upon which bracket is mounted the supporting frame 12 of my nail-distributing apparatus, this frame having a horizontal base portion 1a secured to the bracket 10 and various raised portions 16, which may be either fastened to or integral with the base, and upon which the active elements of the apparatus are carried, In this frame are mounted two nail-distributing mechanisms A and B having the parts cooperating with the nails distinct from one another, though the mechanisms possess driving elements in common, and beingadapted to supply to the loader mechanism of the heeler nails of two characters. lnthe present instance, the mechanism A is designed to feed short nails and the mechanism 13 long nails, to use, respectively, in the front and rear of high, heavily pitched heels. Near sides of the frame, here shownas arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to one another, are drums or like receptacles 18 and 20 belonging to the distributors A and B, respectively. The drum 18 is of greater diameter and capacity, since it is customary to deliver more short than long nails. The complete independence of these drums renders it easy tochange from one length of nails to another without mixing them, they being separately removable from application of power to the shaft 34.

the apparatus for this purpose. They are mounted to rotate upon pairs of opposite shafts 22, 22 journaled in the frame. The drum-supportin arrangement is better illustrated in nited States Patent No. 1,005,303, Pope, October 10, 1911. The shafts 22 of each pair nearest the associated pair are driven through spur-gearing 24 upon shafts 26 and 28 journaled in the frame and joined to rotate together by bevel gearing 30. The shaft 26 receives power through worm gearing 32 from a main shaft 34 mounted in bearings extending transversely of the distributing apparatus A, and being rotated by a belt (not shown) engaging a pulley 36. A clutch 38 controls the ihis clutch and its operation areas described in the previously-mentioned Pope )atent and need not here be considered. lEach naildrum lifts in the usual manner upon its interior shelves the contained nails, which fall into channels 40 in nail-ways 42 and 44 of the respective mechanisms A and B, along which channels the nails travel in the direction of their axes. These nail-ways converge at an angle of 90 degrees to points over tubes 46 leading to the loader mechanism to which they are to deliver, and are downwardly inclined from the drums to the tubs. Their form, including the reversing devices 48, is as in the Pope patent. The number of channels in the nail-way 44 is less than in its companion, since it will have fewer tubes to deliver to, andin each of the nail-ways are two channels for each tube, as will later more clearly appear. The nailways are supported upon pairs of rock arms pivoted upon the frame. The outer pair of arms 50, 50 for the nail-way 42 extend both above and below their pivotal points, furnishing levers. At their upper extremities they are articulated to arms 52 fixed upon the under side of the nail-way. Their lower extremities carry a rod 54 near the center of which is connected an arm 56 secured to the under side of a return chute 58, the opposite end of which oscillates upon rock arms. This chute, which extends the full length of the nail-way and is inclined oppositely thereto, conveys the nails which have fallen through the nail-way between the channels to the drum to be again fed.

To move the nails down the conveying inciines with greater certainty, either of these may be caused to travel in one direction at a greater velocity than in the other, the more rapid movement being on the'advance, so that the nails will be thrown forward by virtue of their momentum when the direction of movement is reversed. I have here disclosed both the nail-way 42 and the return chute 58 of the distributing apparatus A as thus operated. Connected to the shaft 34 by spur-gearing 60 is a transverse shaft 62 journaled in the frame. At each end of the shaft 62 is a crank-pin 64 entering an opening in a block 66 sliding in ways in a head 68. These heads are fast upon the ends of shafts mounted to rotate in the opposite sides of the frame at the ends f the shaft 62. Upon the opposite or outer end of each shaft 70 from its head 68 is a crank-pin '72 connected by a link 74 to the adjacent end of the rod 54. The shaft 62 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and in this movement cau:--es the blocks 66 to slide back and forth in the ways in the heads 68, thus oscillating the shafts T 0. As the crank-pins 64 pass beneath the center of the shaft 62 from right to left, as viewed in Fig. 3, being nearer the center of. the shafts 70 about which the heads oscillate, they produce a more rapid movement of these heads in the same direction than when they are oscillated in the opposite direction by the travel of the crank-pin over the center of the shaft 62 from left to right. The elements are so related that the crank-pins 72 move in the opposite direction to the heads 08, their greatest velocity being during the travel from left to right. Through the rock arms 50 and the depending arms 52 this movement, at different rates of speed, is imparted to the nail-way 4-2, so that its advance toward the discharge roll is more rapid than its return toward the nail drum. This exerts a constant tendency to move the nails more positively down the channels. At the same time, through the arm 56, a similar differential movement is communicated to the return chute 58 but in the opposite direction, and, since this conducts the nails oppositely, the same increased efiiciency in feeding results.

The oscillating movement of the mechanism A is transmitted to the mechanism B through a lever 76, preferably of the bellcrank type, fulcrumed at 78 upon the frame. Levers 80 fulcrumed upon the frame support the bottom of the return chute 58 and carry a rod 82 having upon it an arm 84 pivoted at 85 to the lever '76. The other arm of the lever is articulated at 86 to a link 88 connected to a rod 90 joining the lower extremities of rock levers 92 fulcrumed upon the frame and carrying at their upper ends arms 94 fixed to the outer portion of the nail-way 44 of the distributing mechanism B. The inner portion of the nail-way 44 is mounted upon rock arms 96 pivoted on a transverse arm of the frame. The return chute 98 of the nail-way 44 communicates with the drum 20 in the manner already described in connection with the distributing mechanism A, but, instead of being sop arately mounted, is secured to the sides of the nail-way. This nail-way 44 does not share in the advantage resulting from the quick advance movement, but this is less important in dealing with the longer, heavier nails upon which it operates. The return chute 98, however, moves with greater velocity toward the drum 20 than from it and, therefore, possesses a greater feeding ethciency. i

At their lower ends the channels of the nail-way 12 deliver to a discharge device, preferably in the form of a roll 100, mount ed for oscillation in the side walls of the nail-way. In the. roll is a nail-receiving means cooperatingwith each channel, each receiving means consisting of a slot or de pression 102 extending nearly half through the roll, with its inner portion at 104: V- shaped andarranged for alinement with the corresponding channel. In the roll at each side of one end of each depression is a recess 1106 with the end wall of which nails carried side by side in the channels contact and are displaced into the return chute.

The depressions are arranged in successive sets, in the present instance these sets consisting of pairs of depressions separated about the periphery of the roll by 180 degrees, so that they may be brought alternately into cooperation with adjacent channels. In the nail-tube holder 108, into which the nails are delivered by the discharge roll after contact with the usual stop-plate 110,

are pairs of conduitsf112, 112 having their upper extremities beneath pairs of depressions 102, 102 constituting a set and con verging at their lower ends to a single nailtube d6. The roll 1s rotated 1n successive steps of 180 degrees to permit, in the upper horizontal position of the depressions, the

reception of the nails, and, during their movement to the opposite or lower horizontal position, delivery to a nail-tube. The step-bystep rotation maybe effected by a pin-gear 11 1 hired to the spindle of roll 100, and engaged by a hook 116 upon a bar 118 pivoted on a lever 120 fulcrumed on the frame. The lever 120 isoscillated by opposite projections from the side of a cam 121 driven through a friction clutch from the shaft 26, as in the patent to Pope. With the roll as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, one of the depressions of each set of the receivi-ng devices has delivered to it a nail from the corresponding channel. Then, as the shaft 26 rotates, the hook 116 reciprocated by the cam 121 turns the discharging roll in two steps so that those depressions which were uppermost are brought to the under side and drop the contained nails into the alined tubes. Upon the succeeding operation of the shaft 26, the bar 118 again 1'0,

,tates the roll through 180 degrees to dis- 130 rising from the top of the nail-way 12.

This shaft 128 is joined by a universal coupling 132 to a shaft 134: turning in a bracket 136 upon the nail-way 14:. Bevel gearing 138 connects the shaft 13 1 with the discharge roll12 1.

The general operation of the herein described distributing mechanisms is as in Patent No. 1,005,303 to Pope and need not be discussed. To summarize the advantages peculiar to this invention, it may be said that, when employed for supplying nails of different lengths to a loader mechanism, these nails are contained in independent drums so separated from one another that they may be readily handled without mixing the nails when it is desired to supply fresh charges or to change from one length to another, and that, moveover, the two classes of nails throughout their travel from the drums to the loader mechanism are kept entirely distinct. The movement of the shorter, lighter nails over their nail-way from the drum to the nail-tubes and the return of both the short and long nails from beneath the nail-ways to the drums is facilitated by the reciprocation of the conveying surfaces at a more rapid rate in their advance. movement than in their return. The continuity of supply to the nail tubes is as sured by delivery thereto from plural nail channels and this without complicating the arrangement of the tubes, all additional passages below the nail-ways being contained in the tube-holders.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a plurality of receptacle for holding a supply of nails in bulk, a nail conveyer cooperating with each receptacle, means for moving one of nails in bulk, a nail-way to which eachreceptacle delivers, supports for the nailways, means connected to its supports for moving one of the nall-ways, and connections from said nail-way to the supports of another nail-way to move the latter.

In a nail-distributing apparatus, a plurality of nail receptacles, a nail-way to which has a roll 124 similar to ing toward one another, means for 7 each receptacle delivers,

means for reciprocating one of the nail-ways toward and from its receptacle, and connections from said nail-way to anothernailavay to impart the reciprocation to the latter.

4. In a nail-distributing apparatus, separate nail receptacles, nail-ways from the receptacles arranged to support the nails for movement in the direction of their axes and converging toward one another, and means for reciprocating the nail-Ways to produce such axial advance.

5. In a nail-distributin a )aratus Hall nism connected to one nail-way, and a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and oted to both nail-ways.

7. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a movable conveyer over which nails advance from' the receptacle, and

being pivmeans controlled in the operation of the appa'ratus to move the conveyer at different velocities to facilitate the travel of the nails thereover.

8. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a nail-way leading therefrom, and actuating means arranged to move the nail-Way during each actuation at different velocities to facilitate the movement of the nails from the receptacle.

9. Ina nail-distributing apparatus, anail receptacle, a nail-way mounted for reciprocation toward and from the receptacle, and means for moving the nail-way at a greater velocity from the receptacle than toward it.

10. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, nail conveyers leading from the receptacle in the distributing action and toward the receptacle to return nail thereto, and means formoving the said conveyers simultaneously in opposite directions.

11.'In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, oscillatory nail conveyers leading from and toward the receptacle, and means formoving the said conveyers in opposite directions, each of the conveyers being moved at different velocities.

121111 a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a nail-way leading therefrom, a chute for returning the nails to the receptacle, and means for reciprocating both the nail-way and chute at different velocities during each reciprocation.

13. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a nail-way leading therefrom, a chute forreturning nails to the receptacle, and means for moving both the nail-Way and chute toward and from the receptacle, the rate of travel of the nail-way being greater from the receptacle and that of the chute greater toward the receptacle.

14. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a reciprocatory conveyor over which nails advance from the recepta le, an oscillatory pivoted actuating member for the conveyor, and a revoluble operatin member movable in a path which lies both between the pivot of the actuating member and the axis of revolution and upon the opposite side of the axis of revolution from the pivot.

15. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a reciprocatory conveyer over which nails advance from the receptacle, an oscillatory'member for actuating the conveyer, a member mounted to slide upon the oscillatory member, and a crank engaging the sliding member.

16. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a shaft, a rock-lever having arms projecting at opposite sides of the shaft, two conveyers cooperating with the receptacle-and being connected to the opposite arms, and means for rocking the lever.

17. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail receptacle, a shaft, a rock-lever having arms projecting at opposite sides of the shaft, two conveyers cooperating with the receptacle and being connected to the opposite arms, a rock-arm connected to the rocklever, a block mounted to slide upon the arm, and a crank-pin engaging the block.

18. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a plurality of nail receptacles, an oscillatory conveyer from which the nails advance from each receptacle, and means common to the conveyers for oscillating each of them at different speeds.

19. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail-way, a discharging device having movable means arranged in successive sets for receiving nails from the nail-way, and a nail-tube to which each set of nail-receiving means delivers.

20. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a

' nail-way provided with nail channels, a discharging device having means arranged in successive sets for receiving nails from the channels, and a series of nail-tubes with which the discharging device cooperates, each set of receiving mean including elements acting alternately to deliver nails to one nail-tube.

21. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail-way provided with nail channels, a series f nail-tubes, and a discharge roll interposed between the nail-way and tubes, said roll being provided with plural sets of depressions arranged for alinement with sets of adjacent nail channels and delivering to a single nail-tube.

22. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail-way provided with nail channels, a series of nail-tubes, and a discharge roll interposed between the nail-way and tubes, said roll being provided with plural sets of depressions arranged for alinement alternately with sets of adjacent nail channels and delivering to a single nail-tube.

23. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail-way provided with nail channels, a series of nail-tubes, and a rotatable discharge roll interposed between the nail-way and tubes, said roll being provided with adjacent depressions arranged in pairs with the depressions of each pair situated on opposite sides'of the roll, each pair of depressions being revoluble into cooperation with adjacent nail channels and with a single nail-tube.

24. In a naiLdistributing apparatus, a tube-holder, and tubes mounted thereon in a series, there being nail-receiving passages in the holder converging to a single tube from points separated longitudinally of the series.

25. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a

tube holder and tubes connected therewith,

there being in the tube-holder a single passage for each nail channel with a plurality of these channels converging to a single tube.

26. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail-way provided with nail channels, a discharge device having receiving means cooperating with the channels, and a tubeholder and tube connected therewith, there being passages through the tube-holder joining a plurality of nail-receiving means with a single nail-tube.

27. In a nail-distributing apparatus, a nail-way provided with nail channels, a discharge device having receiving means cooperating with the channels,.and a tubeholder and tubes connected therewith, there being passages through the tube-holder converging from adjacent nail channels to a nail-tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BENJAMIN F. MAYO. 

